Friday, November 25, 2016

NOTE: A number of people have not believed that I have any real knowledge of whether or not the Superbike victims were actually shot in the forehead. To them: I have read the autopsy and police reports as I reviewed this case in person at the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office. The information below on the location of the headshot wounds comes directly from the reports.

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One of the things police departments do in the course of releasing information to the public is to give the public enough information to encourage tips that might be useful in identifying who the perpetrator of a crime might be, but leave out details that serve no point in aiding identification, details that might help prove they have the right individual if someone they are interviewing gives details of the crime that they have kept secret.

The Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office gave out quite a lot of details about the Superbike murders - what door they believed the killer came in (the back one), that he fired a lot of shots at the victims, and that he circled back around and shot each one of the victims in the head.

The Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office (SPSO) is adamant that the shooter came in the back bay door of the business shot Chris Sherbert first as he was cleaning up a motorcycle, then went through the swinging door into the shop and encountered Beverly Guy leaving the bathroom or the office and shot her, and then shot Brian Lucas and Scott Ponder as they tried to escape out the front door. Eighteen rounds were fired requiring a changing of clips. The SPCO has never explained just when the shooter did this in the midst of shooting the three in the front room and there is no explanation, if he had to change magazines at that point, why the two men didn't escape further while he was doing so. They never explained why, if the shooter mixed his ammunition which included eleven with nickel casings and seven with brass casings (which is what they told me they thought happened - something not very common along with the need for an extended magazine, something also quite rare) and if he shot the victims from the back of the store to the front, how odd it would be that at least three of the victims ended up with a bullet in the head that had a brass casing. I believe the killer had a full 10-round magazine with nickel (nickel-plated over brass) cartridges (plus one nickel cartridge in the chamber - 10+1) and a second magazine with brass cartridges.

I believe the SPSO attempted to develop a scenario that matches their theory that the unknown guy in the composite first went after the employee cleaning up the bike he was supposed to buy and then went after everyone else. Not that this makes great sense because if you come in the back way and start the shooting there, you are unaware of who is out front and by the time you get there, other customers may have come in. Besides, your anger should be with Scott Ponder and he should be the most important target and normally a killer would choose him to start with. Perhaps the thinking is that the perpetrator didn't want his vehicle seen so he parked in the back and came in that way and then went back that way to his vehicle. Nothing wrong with this theory and, in fact, it still could be true if the guy walked past Christ Sherbert to the front, did his shootings, and then returned to get Sherbert. But, the detectives, refused to even allow for this possibility and I think this stubbornness lies in their desire to make Sherbert the first victim of the guy in the composite and, in doing so, they choose to ignore the ballistics evidence. But it is terribly important as it shows exactly what the shooter did and why - as you will see.

I propose this scenario of how the shootings went down (there is an issue with a couple of the casings whether they were brass or nickel due to the manner of notation in the files):

The behaviors of the victims clearly indicate Beverly Guy was shot
first. If the killer had been intent on shooting Ponder or Lucas first and pulled out a gun in the front room, he would likely have shot the men where they stood considering how close the shooter was to these two men. However, the killer shot them only after they were in motion, running toward the front door
in order to escape. Something clearly set them off and this would be the
shooting of Guy. I believe he pointed the gun at Guy's face and she turned her head causing him to then shoot her in the right side of the head. She fell and he shot her with. (Shot One - Nickel Casing). Then he fired directly at Guy's before she fell (Shot 2)( Nickel Casing 19) was fired directly at Guy’s chest, the shooter being face to face with her, the men made a break
for it (Shots Three and Four, Nickel Casing 20 and Projectiles at 9 and 10).
The next shot hit Brian Lucas in the backside causing him to
collapse in the door, with Scott Ponder leaping over him; then numerous shots to Ponder’s
back took him down to the ground (used up all the nickel shot in the magazine). It was here he changed magazines to the brass.

At this point the shooter knew there was one more person he needed to deal with and he turned and went back through the swinging doors into the work area. There was music on in both the front and back so it is questionable as to whether Sherbert actually knew the others had been
shot down. It is possible he did hear the shots but by the time he realized what was going on, the shooter had already entered the back of the shop. The shooter fired as soon as he came through the swinging door approximately from the area of three bikes to the left of the door. (Brass Casings 21 and 22. The trajectory is in perfect line with the back storage room where the bullets went through the boxes. The
shooter’s position would be in the general area where the crescent wrench with the black handle was found should Sherbert have thrown it at the shooter in a desperate attempt to stop him. This evidence is proof that Sherbert did see him coming and that the shooter was coming at him from the swinging doors. He was the final victim, not the first victim. Sherbert likely was ducking behind the
motorcycle he was working on as soon as he saw the killer coming toward him
with a gun. He then moved in on Sherbert who had no way to stand up from behind the motorcycle and run out the bay door without getting shot. The shooter came up over him and shot him in the back and chest (brass casings) and then capped him with a shot to the top of his head (Brass Casing)

The shooter then returned to the front of the business to
make sure Brian and Scott were dead. It is during this time (or while the shooter was in the back) I believe Ponder, still alive but knowing he was not going to make it, dialed 33 on his phone and pressed send, attempting to reach his wife with a final goodbye and, perhaps, an attempt to identify the shooter to her. Ponder appears to have pushed himself up on his knees with his left arm and dialed his phone with his free right hand and pressed the send button at 2:52. This was likely very
within a minute or seconds before the shooter capped him in the head. I do not agree with the theory that Ponder dialed the phone number while running in a panic over his friend and through the glass front door. I have attempted to recreate this scenario and found it impossible to hit the three buttons on the phone while in this kind of motion. The shots in the head of all four victims apparently ended their lives within seconds as there is no evidence of movement after the last four shots were fired.

At 3:12 PM, the emergency phone call to 911 comes in from
Noel Lee.

Now to the head shots: First of all, not everyone was lying on their backs making a shot to the forehead an easy thing. The shooter had no plan to shoot them all in the foreheads. He simply came up to each victim and delivered a final shot to the head to insure that they did not survive the attack.

Here are the locations of each of the four final headshot wounds (entry only):

Scott Ponder

Right temporal region 4.75 inches from the top of the head, 3.0 inches to the right of midline, and 4.25 inches circumferentially from the midline anteriorly

Brian Lucas

Gunshot wound 1 – Above left ear 3.5 inches from the top of the head, 2.75 from left of midline. No powder stippline or tattoing is identified.

Beverly Guy

Gunshot Wound 1 - Entrance wound in the right temporal region at the hairline 3.5 inches from the top of the head and 3.5 inches to the right of midline. No surrounding soot or powderdeposition is identified. A barrel imprint is not present.

Chris Sherbert

Gunshot wound 1 – Left paritel skull 0.5 inches from the top of the head and 1.75 inches to the left of midline. The wound measures 0.32 inches in diameter with a small superficial abrasion associated with the wound in the hair.

Four shots to the foreheads of all four victims?

Absolutely not - and why the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office wants you to believe this lie is something every citizen and family member of the victims should question and demand an answer.

32 comments:

Anonymous
said...

First question~ Can you point me in the direction of where the Sheriff or a detective said that "TK confessed to shooting the SB victims in the forehead and that was a detail that was never made public."

"The detective told Melissa (and she taped what he said) that Kolhepp admitted to firing a single bullet into the forehead of each of the victims."

This was stated on national television over ten days ago. The Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office has made no correction of this false statement, so one has to accept that they wish the public to believe it. I also spoke out about this false statement last Monday on The Tara Show and still no comment from the SPSO.

They never played the part of the recorded statement where the detective told her that. The reporter said it. We didn't hear Melissa or anyone else from the Sheriff's department confirm that.The Sheriff has said that TK told them a few (could have been a couple)things about the case that was never made to public.

This is true. However, 48 hours made that statement following listening to the tape Melissa played of the detective's statement. I DID myself question originally if Melissa simply misquoted the detective; this is why I gave SPSO a week to speak out and say that 48 hours incorrectly quoted the detective but they have done no such thing. They have let the public believe that one of the things he knew that no one else but the police knew was that they were all shot in the forehead. This statement has convinced many people - including the families, I believe - that Kohlhepp must I need be the killer.

Much as I mistrust the media and know that often they misquote, there seemed to be no reason for them to conjure up this particular quote by accident. It was already public information that all the victims had been shot in the forehead, so that would not have been news or proof of anything. To say, however, that Todd Kohlhepp shot each victim in the forehead, this is a very exacting statement. The SCSO knows 48 hours put that out there and they have done nothing to deny that this statement was made by one of their detectives or to state that this is not true - for ten days, they have remained silent. I can only conclude they want the public to believe this because only if Kohlhepp knew something no one else did would this be proof of his involvement (and I don't believe he actually does know anything and I don't believe they have any physical evidence either). This is why I want to see this case taken to court to prove his guilt, but I will wager that will never happen.

Anon 7:12 Yes, it is the responsibility of the Sheriff's Office to be sure that erroneous information isn't given to the public by a national news show and that their detective isn't linked to disseminating false information to the families. While they can't help if if a news show screws up, they can certainly make a simple statement to clarify an error. I don't think, though, that it was an error; I believe it probably was a statement made by the detective and 48 hours simply reported it because, after all, it is shocking information, and if it were true, would certainly be pretty convincing that Kohlhepp might actually be the killer (although, actually, it is easy to make a guess like that - only so many ways to do an execution style shooting) and it is easy to be led into such a statement with improper interrogation techniques (also not that uncommon).

Pat i am confused by these two things. You are saying the victims were not shot in the forehead. You also said it was public knowledge that they were shot in the forehead; therefore, Kohlhepp didn't give LE any information that the general public wasn't already aware of. Since you are stating in this article that they were not shot in the forehead I am concluding that the previous public knowledge that they were all shot in the forehead was a lie?

Until Kohlhepp was caught and confessed, the only information about the headshots that was known to the public was that the four victims were all shot in the head. It was never mentioned that they were shot in the forehead.

The first time we heard of any such thing as a forehead shot (and this includes me who had seen the autopsy reports and spoken at length with Sheriff Wright and the detectives) is when it was stated on 48 hours that the detective told Melissa that Kohlhepp had confessed to shooting each victim once in the forehead, something only known to the killer and the police and not the public.

So, there was never any previous knowledge of any of the victims being shot in the forehead, only the head.

And, it is a fact, that the victims were only ever shot in the head and none were shot in the forehead.

Since the families are aware of where their loved ones were shot, why would they believe the "shot in the forehead" is the information TK gave that the public wasn't aware of? If it's not true the families already know that.

You stated that using a extended magazine is "quite rare".I respectfully have to disagree. Hundreds of thousands of legal gun owners use 30 round clips, not to mention the same amount if not more are in the possesion of illegal gun owners.Can you tell me if it was determined whether or not all of the head shots came from the same type casings?

Anon 1:38 I do not know that the families have actually seen the autopsy reports or the crime scene photos as this is an open case. Sometimes, police departments allow the families to view that information; other times, they do not. Either way, if any of the families did know, then this is information that not only the killer would know, and if they didn't, well, then likely, as it seems is true, the families are buying that this information supports Kohlhepp as the killer.

Anon 1:59 Although, yes, there are those that use an extended magazine, it is hardly a commonplace thing. Far more people use a regular magazine of 10 and this fits exactly with the shooting in this crime (10+1 silver, and then the remainder brass), Yes, all the head shots were brass casings.

One must remember, it is the totality of the evidence that makes for the best understanding of a crime scene and you can pick away at tiny points and exaggerate this and that, but the totality is what tells the story. Is it possible the perp used an extended magazine and just happen to put in ten silver cartridges and then the rest brass. Sure, he could have run out of them. But, along with exactly what occurred in the shop, there was a moment in time where Chris Sherbert had a bit of time to respond, the time I believe the killer was changing magazines. One can never be one hundred percent sure of any scenario, but that is why an analysis is an investigative method and not a pronouncement of exactly what happened and this is why a prosecution must have enough evidence to support a guilty verdict.

One thing one can be sure of at this point: there has yet been NO evidence supporting the guilt of Kohlhepp outside of Sheriff Wright's claim that he confessed and knew things only the killer would know and the only thing released to the public has been a claim that Kohlhepp shot each victim in the forehead, a detail only known to the killer and THAT detail is absolutely false.

I find it quite interesting and a bit sad that more people are interested in either attacking the messenger (ad hominem attacks) or arguing about how the crime went down or Kohlhepp's psychology and motive than are interested in than the false information coming out of the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office. I was questioned as to whether I could back up my claims that the victims weren't shot in the forehead and I have provided autopsy details to do so. Now, suddenly it is dead quiet on the issue of the forehead shots.

Is this a sign that the citizens of Spartanburg would prefer that Todd Kohlhepp be found guilty without proof and, even worse, prefer him to be found guilty even when the evidence is to the contrary and is this a sign that the citizens are comfortable with a police department disseminating false "evidence" to essentially inspire a public lynching (in the minds of the public and in the media)? I certainly hope not, but if this incredible lie that the victims were shot in the forehead isn't an outrage to the victims' families and citizenry, I guess justice is not something too many are actually concerned about; perhaps all that is desired is a "happy ending."

Pat is it possible that the detective that called Melissa used the word "Forehead" as a general term instead of saying to the victims wife, "Kohlhepp told us he shot Mrs. Guy in this (insert area) of the head and your husband in this area....etc"? And they are not responding to your information that no one was actually shot in the Forehead because they want to keep the actual information Kohlhepp said under wraps until a trial. I am only looking at possibilities as to why their is conflicting information. It doesn't mean I want Kohlepp to be convicted of the SB murders just to have a person in prison for the crime.

Anon 3:25 ::sigh:: Sure, anyone could have erred in any way. I will repeat: A highly respected national television show adamantly state that Todd Kohlhepp claimed he shot EACH on of the victims in the FOREHEAD and that the information came directly from a detective/deputy (and it was recorded) from the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office. If this was a gross mistake on the part of media, Sheriff Wright has a duty to the citizens and family AND to a future supposed court case to clear this up (because a defense attorney would have a field day with this is court). Simply correcting the media if they erred would have been simple and would still not affect any of this supposed "secret" information. I believe that the SPSO wants this information out there so that people will accept Todd Kohlhepp is the killer with zero proof that he is.

I repeat, I do not think this case will ever reach a court. I believe there will be a plea deal and nothing will ever have to be proven. This is why the claim that Todd Kohlhepp shot them all in the forehead is so important because people are believing this is proof of his guilty and that is all that is necessary when you close a case down with a plea deal and never show the evidence.

By the way, "forehead" is damned specific and it was stated that he shot ALL four victims in the FOREHEAD which is quite something special. I was out of town when this came out and did not have access to my hard drive (which was in a safe). I, myself, was quite take aback by this and I wondered if I could have forgotten something so specific; could I have actually forgotten that everyone had a bullet right dead in the center of their forehead (or at least somewhere in the forehead? That should have been a real picture in my head. I had to go home and pull out the hard drive and read, over and over, the details of the head shots, thinking, wow, really, I missed shots to the forehead? No, if Lachica gave that detail (which it would seem he did because they have had so much time to retract it) because it is very specific; not just a headshot, but a FOREHEAD shot...wow...yeah, Kohlhepp executed his victims in an exacting way...he said so...forehead shots....wow....he must have done it.

Have you personally been able to talk to any of the family of the SB murders about it? Even just to convince them to ask for the autopsy report or for more proof Todd is the shooter. I've seen some of the family doubts him too. I sure hope they demand real proof before they believe it.

Anon 5:25 I don't need to see the autopsy reports because I have already seen them and the gunshot information is written exactly from them. As to speaking with them, I have reached out but they are not willing to communicate. It isn't my desire to harass the families, only to put the truth out there so I am not a party to a lie and to encourage the community to demand that proof that Todd Kohlhepp is the Superbike killer. People need to remember, if Todd Kohlhepp is not the Superbike perpetrator, then someone else is and that killer is still living free in your community and will have gotten away with four murders. Seek justice, not a comfortable answer.

I continued to be amazed at the lack of understanding some people are having with this issue. Let me break it down as simply as I can.

1) The fact that all four victims were shot in the head has been known to the public for a long time; that information came from the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office and was in the news.

2) A detective/deputy from the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office told Melissa Brackman that Todd Kohlhepp stated that he shot all four victims in the forehead, a detail not known to the public (48 hours)

3) NONE of the victims were shot in the forehead; therefore, what Kohlhepp supposedly claimed is not true and the SPSO claiming this is proof of his guilt is also not true.

It is my belief that Beverly Guy was the first to get shot while she, Ponder and Lucas were all in the front of the shop. I believe she was one of the main targets as the killer had an ax to grind with her and/or she was shot to make a point with Ponder. I can't say because Ponder and Lucas were shot multiple times that makes them the main victims; they were running and it took multiple shots to take them down. Guy was shot point blank; she was surprised, but after that shot Ponder and Lucas ran for their lives. As to Chris Sherbert, he was shot as many times as it took to put him down while he was ducking behind a motorcycle. I believe he was collateral damage and not the main target.

I will point out again, it is not really an issue as to whose theory is correct at this point. My theory as opposed to another's theory are only useful tools in reexamining the crime and deciding on investigative options. My reason for including the details here is simply to allow people to understand I have had access to the crime scene information and that the autopsy results I include are accurate.

The point of my post is not to prove anything EXCEPT that the SPSO has told the families of the victims and by way of the media the citizens as well, that Todd Kohlhepp confessed to shooting all the victims in the forehead and that this is something only the killer would know. They have left the public believing that the victims really WERE shot in the forehead when they were not. This is a calculated lie and should not be tolerated by the citizens or the families of the victims.

There are many theories and rumors about the Superbike case. However, this is not the place to discuss them. The topic is the Todd Kohlhepp confession, headshot wounds, and false information coming out of the SPSO. Please stay on topic.

Rudeness is not tolerated here. However, to the commenter whose comment I did not approve, no, I never said the killer started in the back and moved to the front; that was the theory of the SPSO. I have always theorized that the killer started in the front, shot Mrs. Guy, then Ponder and Lucas, and then went to the back to shoot Chris Sherbert.

At this point, it really doesn't matter who theory is right. What matters is what the evidence says and that is there were no forehead shots.

A few folks are actually saying I am nitpicking, that Todd Kohlhepp might have said forehead meaning somewhere in the region. First of all, if all he meant what the head in general, this already is public information and, again, is NOT something only the killer would know.

Secondly, it I hardly nitpicking; there is a great difference between four people shot in the forehead (most of us ca imagine what that looks like - between the eyes or dead center of the forehead or above the right eye or above the left eye. NONE of these were the areas struck. I should think Todd Kohlehpp and the detectives on the case know the difference between the forehead and:

1: Above the left ear2. In the top of the head3. In the top of the head4. In the right temple

Pat, I just found your blog today from a link in the letters section of the Spartanburg Herald-Journal's Goupstate website. Lots of great information and insight that I hadn't read or heard before. I have no problem believing that TK is the Superbike killer. The fact that he was a recent customer at Superbike and was a registered sex offender having committed a felony with a handgun and had served 14 years for that crime and wasn't seen as a suspect by the SCSO is mind boggling. They immediately zeroed in on the wife and seemed to put all of their limited brainpower into that possibility. I have dealt with these same geniuses at the SCSO on numerous occasions and I am constantly amazed at how uninformed some of these guys are about the law and how dense they are when it comes to uncovering and understanding evidence. (For instance, there were nearly a dozen burglaries in businesses in and around the office park where I work; including my business twice in three days. I got more information from the guys who came to repair the phone lines and power lines that the burglar disabled than I did from the detective. A cell phone was stolen in two instances and they didn't bother to ask what the phone number to the stolen phone was or bother to check with the phone company about any calls made on the phone after it was stolen. When I asked about this they replied that Verizon was difficult to work with and they weren't going to bother. I was able to get a list of the phone calls made by the stolen phone starting immediately after the burglary within a few minutes. I gave the detective that information and they had a name and address of the perp within hours, they arrested him six months later.) The Anderson Police seem to follow this same M.O. when it comes to phone evidence. How did they not know how to find the Kala Brown and Charlie Carver on TK's property when her last phone call was with TK and her phone pinged near property he owned two days after they went missing? TK's past shouldn't have been a secret to law enforcement since he was registered as a violent sex offender. Lot's of sloppy police work.

You commentary is exactly why Todd Kohlhepp may be convicted of a crime he didn't do, why no evidence will be necessary to convince the public of his guilt, and why, if he isn't guilty, why a killer may remain on the street.

You point out you have no problem believing Tod Kohlhepp is the Superike killer. But the problem is you are not basing your belief on evidence, just that he is not a nice guy who owns a gun and once visited the Superbike store. If we put people away based on so little credible evidence, we should be arresting every personality disordered guy who owns a weapon or has a record for just any crime that goes down. There is a REASON Todd Kohlehpp should be charged with three murders and a kidnapping; because there is what is called probable cause to believe Kohlhepp committed those crimes and sufficient evidence to take him to trial and believe he should be convicted (witness chained up on his property, dead people buried on his property, etc).

But, in Superbike, there has not yet been a shred of evidence outside of a questionable confession by a guy you cannot trust or believe. On top of that, we have lies about the evidence coming out of the Sheriff's Office.

Yet the lack of evidence and the lies may not matter to the citizens of Spartanburg if they are willing, like you, to simply say Todd Kohlhepp is the Superbike Killer without any proof.

Not only is there a problem with sloppy police work, but there is a problem with citizens not having a problem with lies coming out of the Sheriff's Office, police misconduct and obstruction of justice.

And you were 'RIGHT' ALL along, Pat!He took a 'Plea Deal' for the Murders in SC today!So, '6' LIFE Sentences & No DP!&STILL, waiting for the Charges to be Brought - AGAINST Him for the 'last' Fellow he killed & Buried on his property. (Name escapes me, however; Kala's Boyfriend!)

MSM is just as sloppy & halfway-sideways, half the time nowadays, too!

So, the '7th' Life Sentence WAS for the Carver Fellow!Kala's boyfriend ...&The tacked on 60 Years, including the choice of Weapon he used during the commission of some of these Crimes ...Appear to 'Lend' themselves towards the KIDNAP & SEXUAL-NATURED Crimes he committed against HER!

I apologize, once again - For the CORRECTION!I don't like to get, let alone - Pass information, on WRONG & I'm NOT very good, with tryin' to 'Digest a DIRTY Line'!ESPECIALLY, the 'BLUE One' ...I walked a Million times!

When Detective Anthony Lachica of the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office called back, Ponder wasn’t taking any chances.

“You guys make a decision to record this phone conversation,” Van Sant commented to Ponder.

“And I don’t know why we made that decision,” she said. “I didn’t know what was gettin’ ready to come out of their mouth.”

“You’ve been burned before,” Van Sant noted.

“I have,” Melissa affirmed.

Ponder played the recording for Van Sant:>> Det. Lachica: Melissa?>> Melissa Ponder: Yes.>> Det. Lachica: Can you do me a favor?>> Melissa Ponder: Yeah.>> Det. Lachica. Sit down.>> Melissa Ponder: OK.>> Det. Lachica: We just got a guy who confessed to the Superbike killings. [Crying] And he gave us details from everything. We made an arrest.>> Melissa Ponder: Are you kidding?[Crying]>> Det. Lachica: No.>> Melissa Ponder: Who is he?>> Det. Lachica: His -- his name’s Todd Kohlhepp.

The detective told Melissa that Kohlhepp admitted to firing a single bullet into the forehead of each of his victims – a fact never released to the public and something only the killer would know.

“After all those years, you are finally told who murdered your husband,” Van Sant noted to Ponder.

“Right. And it’s somebody that didn’t even ring a bell with me. Never even heard of the guy,” she said.

“I want to show you now the picture of the suspect, Todd Kohlhepp. And I want you to take a look at that and compare it to the original composite. Do you see any similarities?” Van Sant asked Ponder...

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By Pat Brown

"Killing for Sport is the most valuable insight into the minds of serial killers that you will ever read. While other profilers tend to conceal the clear facts behind complex technical language and psychobabble. Pat Brown actually tells it like it is."